Stitch 'n Dish

Category: Stashbusting

  • A quick gift

    A quick gift

    Whether we are making a gift to give, or making one for ourselves, these are fun, quick, and for those who sew – the materials are usually readily available in our stash. Here’s to a Winter season of stitching fun!

  • A snow day project

    A snow day project

    I have always loved Back-to-School shopping, and browsing in office supply stores. I cannot resist a new, clean notebook – of ANY size – so this fabric craft is the ideal combination of happy things.

  • The hermit response

    The hermit response

    I will continue to engage with my fiber arts groups and remain connected with fiber friends. These are the connections that become so vital in times of national stress. But I will also allow myself to be comforted with the impulse to hibernate, focused on fabric and yarn; like my grandma before me. And like…

  • A post-holiday project

    A post-holiday project

    After the stress and frenzy of the holiday season, there’s no better activity than “yarn therapy”. Here’s to the cost savings that come with stashbusting; to relaxing with yarn, and to making things for ourselves as we settle into the New Year.

  • A new skill

    A new skill

    As the Xmas portion of this holiday season draws to a close, I find solace in quiet evenings on the couch, Xmas music in the background, tree on and looking festive, cat at my side, feet up, and yarn work in my hands. Too soon I will reenter the work week shuffle, along with the…

  • Scraps to the rescue

    Scraps to the rescue

    Among the gifts with the most commentary this year, my VERY last minute lavender eye pillows took the prize, which is hilarious after all my bluster about stashbusting. My tendencies to not donate, give away, or throw out any crafting supplies saved me this year!!

  • Last-minute gifts that make the grade

    Last-minute gifts that make the grade

    Some of the most challenging gifts to give are those for friends or colleagues that we feel close enough to that we want to give them a gift at Christmas, but we aren’t close enough to know where to begin in choosing a gift. We also may struggle with balancing not spending enough or overdoing…

  • My fiber-year in review

    My fiber-year in review

    I chose the featured photo (top of page) as it best reflects my thoughts on the past year, or at least the year since January 21st. In many ways, my sewing, knitting, and crocheting have helped me stay sane in a world that seemed to begin to fall apart around that time.

  • Holiday Self-Care

    Holiday Self-Care

    …we cannot give from an empty vessel. For many people, this has meant waiting for OTHERS to fill them. That’s a dicey proposition, and in many ways sets us up to fail. Caring for ourselves, even in small ways, is as close to a sure thing as it gets.

  • A loss of community

    A loss of community

    Crafters are creative and can transform simple things into works of art. As we continue to process the stages of “grief” around the loss of community that once resided in our neighborhood Joann stores, we can move on into new ways of being in community, finding and/or creating activities and small groups that promise a…